Waitrose has revealed the food you’ll be eating in 2018

Japanese ‘dude food’, Indian tapas and plant protein look set to become the big dishes of 2018 according to a new report.

The 2018 food trends, forecasted by the Waitrose Food and Drink Report 2017-2018, has revealed shoppers’ changing attitudes to eating and shopping.

The supermarket predicts tapas style Indian street food like smoked, grilled or seared delicacies, scallops or pickled ginger, are set to become in vogue for adventurous diners, alongside hearty, indulgent, ‘dude food’ from Japan like yakitori skewered chicken and deep fried tofu in broth.

The report also predicts that plant protein is set to become a must-eat for dieters who will favour plant based proteins like pulses, shoots, grains and seeds for a healthy protein hit.

‘Everyone’s lives are busier than ever’

The report also revealed that as a result of longer, busier days people will gradually increase their intake to four meals a day. This could include a pre-gym salad or a larger mid-afternoon snack.

Jane Orchard, Manager of Waitrose Store Innovation said: ​“​In these few years we’ve seen a marked shift in grocery shopping behaviour. Everyone’s lives are busier than ever. And this coupled with more convenient ways to buy food - especially technological developments - mean people don’t need to plan in advance.”

Waitrose has also predicted that food shopping habits will make a seismic shift with supermarkets becoming a more experiential retail space and the likes of wine bars and supper clubs becoming more popular.

Orchard added: “We’ve all become very used to buying our lunch outside the home. But we’re now seeing that as well as lunch, many shoppers might just as soon stop for a quick, informal dinner out as nip to the supermarket after work. So retailers need to respond to this demand with tempting options that stand out.”